Kucinich may seek re-election from Washington State, not Ohio

Ohio Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich may be considering a move. The eight-term Cleveland congressman is rumored to be interested in moving out of Ohio to seek re-election to Congress from Washington State’s new 10th district.

According to Kucinich’s communications director Nathan White, “After people found out that Congressman Kucinich’s district could be eliminated or substantially altered in congressional redistricting by the Ohio Legislature’s Republican majority, Congressman Kucinich received requests from people in twenty states, including Washington State, encouraging him to move and run in their area.”

White said that Kucinich plans to return to Congress, but hasn’t decided which district to run in.

“Congressman Kucinich appreciates the interest expressed in his public service,” White wrote in an email to The Daily Caller. “As he has repeatedly said, he fully intends to remain in Congress; he just doesn’t know in what district he will run. In the meantime, he is devoted to serving Ohio’s 10th district as it currently stands.”

White linked an April 30 article appearing in the Kitsap Sun about a Kucinich visit to Bainbridge Island, Washington. The article quoted Kucinich telling local residents of his indecision.

Eli Sanders of The Stranger reported Monday that Kucinich’s frequent visits to the state may not be coincidental. A source “with a long track-record in, and deep knowledge of, Washington State politics” informed Sanders that Kucinich may run for the new Washington district.

Kucinich is a hero to many progressive Democrats and sought the Democratic nomination for the president in 2004 and 2008, largely on an anti-war platform.

Following the 2010 U.S. census, congressional reapportionment has caused Ohio to lose two House seats in the next session of Congress, while Washington is gaining one.

In the 2010 midterm election, Kucinich narrowly avoided being defeated amid a nationwide Republican wave. He won re-election with approximately 53% of the vote. His seat may be dissolved as Ohio Republicans consider how to remove two of the state’s districts.